Hair trimmer

ABSTRACT

A hair trimmer adapted to be connected to a motor operated electric shaver. The trimmer includes a housing and means for connecting the housing, and thus the trimmer, to the shaver. Mounted within and secured to the housing is a stationary cutter having cutter teeth arranged outside of the housing. A movable cutter is provided which has cutter support means connected to the same and cutter teeth which cooperate with the cutter teeth of the stationary cutter for trimming hair. Holding means are provided for interlocking the stationary and movable cutter but permitting relative movement between them. And the cutter support means is adapted to be driven by the shaver motor for moving the movable cutter, and thus the cutter teeth thereof, relative to the stationary cutter teeth for trimming hair.

I United States Patent [1 1 [1 1 3,869,790

Ihasz Mar. 11, 1975 HAIR TRIMMER [57] ABSTRACT [75] Inventor: Richard lhasz Conn- A hair trimmer adapted to be connected to a motor [73] Assignee; Sperry Rand Corporation, operated electric shaver. The trimmer includes a hous- Bridgepmt Cmm ing and means for connecting the housing, and thus the trimmer, to the shaver. Mounted within and se- [22] Flled: July 1973 cured to the housing is a stationary cutter having cut- [21] Appl 383,673 ter teeth arranged outside of the housing. A movable cutter is provided which has cutter support means connected to the same and cutter teeth which cooper- U.S-

s t th tt t th f th t ti y tt f [5]] lltt. Cl B261) 19/06 trimming hair Holding means are provided for inter [58] held of search-M 30/341 4392 221'224 locking the stationary and movable cutter but permitting relative movement between them. And the cutter [56] References Cted support means is adapted to be driven by the shaver UNITED STATES PATENTS motor for moving the movable cutter, and thus the 3,233,324 2/1966 Heide 30/221 x cutter teeth thereof. relative to the Stationary cutter 3,261,092 7/1966 Tiemes.... teeth for trimming hair. 3,550,28l 12/1970 Loner 3,672.049 6/1972 Demci 30/4392 X 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures Primary Examiner-Al Lawrence Smith A.\.\i.\lllH! Exuminer-Gary L. Smith Attorney. Agent, or FirnrCharles R. Miranda HAIR TRIMMER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with a hair trimmer which is detachably connectable to a shaver in place of the shaver cutter head. The trimmer includes novel means for holding a movable trimmer cutter sliding contact with a stationary cutter and guiding movement of the cutter teeth of the moving cutter to maintain the same in cooperative hair trimming engagement with the cutter teeth of the stationary cutter.

It is well-known in the art that electric dry shavers are usually provided with either built-in or auxiliary hair trimmer to facilitate cutting long hairs ordinarily not cut by the shaver cutter head. Prior art hair trimmers which have been constructed with cost savings in mind, or with the thought in mind of saving space for other shaver parts, are generally relatively simply constructed. However, they lack means for positively guiding the motion of the moving trimmer cutter relative to the stationary trimmer cutter to ensure continuous hair trimming cooperation between the cutters. On the other hand, trimmers which include such guiding means are usually made of intricately constructed precision parts which are laborious to assemble and disassemble, are costly to construct and maintain, and require an excessive amount of installation space.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer;

Another object is to provide a hair trimmer constructed of parts which are easily assembled and disassembled;

Another object is to provide a hair trimmer which includes no v el 6555 for mamaifififi; the cutters thereof in continuous hair trimming engagement with one another; and

Another object is to provide a hair trimmer with novel means for guiding the movement of the moving cutter thereof relative to the stationary cutter thereof, to ensure continuous hair trimming engagement of the cutters.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully to skilled artisans from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings, wherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a hair trimmer atttachment for a motor operated electirc dry shaver. In one embodiment, the trimmer comprises a molded housing adapted to be detachably connected to the shaver in place of the shaver cutter head. A plate-like stationary cutter having cutter teeth disposed outside of the housing, is secured to the housing by means of protrusions formed integrally with the housing. A plate-like movable cutter, which is also disposed within the housing with the cutter teeth thereof arranged outside of the housing, has a cutter supporting member connected thereto which is adapted to be driven by the shaver motor. A wire spring is provided for holding the movable cutter in sliding engagement with the stationary cutter. The spring interlocks the cutters together, but permits movement of the movable cutter relative to the stationary cutter. The cutter supporting member preferably includes resilient arms engaged by a motor arm of the shaver motor for urging the cutter supporting member into sliding engagement with an interior wall of the housing extending parallel to a desirable hair trimming path of travel of the movable cutter teeth, for guiding the moving cutter teeth in said path of travel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the upper portion of an electric dry shaver, including a detachably connected cutter head and cutter head operating means;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the electric dry shaver of FIG. 1 with the cutter head thereof replaced by a long-hair trimmer according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view, in elevation, of the shaver and long-hair trimmer as shown in FIG. 2, taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a reduced front, top and left side, exploded perspective view, partially in section, of the shaver and long-hair trimmer shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a reduced front, bottom, a left side, exploded perspective view, partially in section, of the shaver and long-hair trimmer shown in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, an upper portion of an electric dry shaver 10 (FIG. 1), of the type with which an auxiliary long-hair trimmer may be used, generally includes an upper portion of a casing 11. The casing 11 has a front wall 12, rear wall 13 and side walls 14 which define a receptacle 15 within which a cutter head 16 is normally located.

The cutter head 16 (FIG. 1) includes a plurality of elongated outer cutters 17, each having a hair-shearing upper wall 18, side walls 19 and a base spacer 20. The upper walls 18 each include a plurality of hair-shearing teeth 21, formed by two rows of hair reception slots 22. The base spacers 20, which are each provided with an aperture 23 located midway between the ends thereof, are positioned between the side walls 19 and fixedly connected thereto by known means, for example, as by welding to provide the outer cutter 17 with a rigid lower wall.

As shown in FIG. 1, the parallel disposed outer cutters 17 are each spaced from the next adjacent of their number by a spacer member 25 having a curved upper edge 26. The spacer members 25 are detachably connected, by well-known means, to at least one of the adjacent outer cutters 17. As thus arranged, the outer cutters 17 and spacer members 25 are mounted on a cutter head mounting frame 30.

The cutter head mounting frame 30 includes an elongated base plate 31 having a plurality of legs 32, each of which is provided with an aperture 33. The base plate 31 also includes a plurality of spaced apertures 34. The outer cutters 17 and connected spacer members 25 are attached to the frame 30 by well-known means, for example, as by means of a clip 35 adapted to clamp the outer cutters I7 and thus the connected spacer members 25 to the frame 30.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shaver cutter 16 also includes a plurality of elongated inner cutters 40, each having a hair-shearing upper wall 41, side walls 42, and a lower wall 43. The upper walls 41 each include a plurality of hair-shearing teeth 44, formed by two rows of hair reception slots 45. The lower walls 43 respectively include an aperture 46 located midway between the ends thereof and spaced apertures 47, one of which is shown in FIG. 1, located on opposite sides of aperture 46.

The cutter head 16 also includes a plurality of elongated springs 50, one of which is shown in FIG. 1. Each of the springs 50 has a body portion 51 and spaced end portions 52. The body portion 51 is provided with a partial loop 53 midway between end portions 52 dimensioned to be seated within the inner cutter apertures 47 to removably connect the spring 50 to the inner cutter lower wall 43. An inner cutter 40 and connected spring 50 is removably inserted, by well-known means, into each of the outer cutters 17.

The cutter head 16 is mounted within the cutter head receptacle and detachably connected to the shaver 10 by well-known means. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the shaver 10 includes a shaver motor housing 55 having a plurality of lugs 56 extending laterally therefrom. THe lugs 56 are dimensioned to detachably engage the apertures 33 in the legs 32 of the cutter head frame 30, thereby mounting the cutter head 16 within the cutter head receptacle 15.

The shaver 10 (FIG. 1) also includes cutter head operating means well-known in the art, such as a shaver motor (not shown) which is mounted within the shaver motor housing 55 and includes a plurality of reciprocating motor arms 57. The motor arms 57 respectively extend upwardly from within the housing 55, partially through the next adjacent cutter head frame aperture 34 and partially through the outer cutter base spacer aperture 23, to engage the next adjacent inner cutter spring loop 53. The motor arms 57 urge the springs 50 from a relaxed state to a compressed state, thereby urging the inner cutter hair-shearing wall 41 into sliding engagement with the outer cutter hair-shearing wall 18. When the shaver motor (not shown) is operated, reciprocating motion of the motor arms 57 is transmitted to the inner cutters 40 via the springs 50 for shearing hair.

When the shaver 10 is in use, the upper walls 18 of the outer cutters 17 and upper edges 26 of the spacer members 25, are placed in contact with the users skin (not shown) and moved thereacross for shearing hair. Normally, the outer cutter upper walls 18 and spacer member upper edges 26 extend transversely of hair shearing paths of movement such as shown by the arrows A and B (FIG. 1). Since users generally tend to press the cutter head against their skin with considerable force, the outer cutter slots 22 are dimensioned to prevent skin from entering thereinto while enabling hairs to enter. As the cutter head 16 is moved across the users skin, the shorter, erect, hairs tend to easily enter the outer cutter slots 22, as do the short, inclined, hairs which are lifted from the surface of the skin by the spacer member edges 26. However, the outer cutter teeth 21 and spacer member upper edges 26 tend to bend and thus prevent the longer hairs from entering the slots 22.

Accordingly, this invention is particularly concerned with providing a long-hair trimmer 59 (FIGS. 2 and 3), which is adapted to be connected, for example, to a shaver 10 of the type hereinbefore described, in place of the cutter head 16.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the trimmer 59 comprises a housing 60 and means 62 for connecting the housing to the shaver 10.

The housing 60 (FIGS. 3-5) is a hollow rectangularly-shaped receptacle made of, for example, a molded plastic material, and includes a top wall 63, an elongated front wall 64, an elongated rear wall 65, and spaced side wall 66. The top wall 63 includes an integrally molded, internally disposed pair of hooks 67, located adjacent to and facing the front wall 64. The top wall 63 also includes a rectanguIarly-shaped cavity 68, formed therein approximately midway between the hooks 67. Rearwardly of the hooks 67 is a post 70, a pair of interior walls 72 and 73, all of which are integrally molded with the housing 60. Wall 73, which is spaced parallel to wall 72, is interrupted midway between the ends thereof. The interior walls, 72 and 73 are arranged parallel to the housings front and rear wall, 64 and 65. The front wall 64 (FIGS. 3 and 4) has an elongated aperture 74 formed therein adjacent to the top wall 63, opposite the top wall hooks 67, and is provided with a pair of spaced, generally rectangularlyshaped protrusions 75 which extend therefrom and towards the rear wall 65.

The housing 60 is removably connected to the shaver 10 by well-known means, for example, as by means of a trimmer mounting frame 62 similar tothe cutter head mounting frame 30 of FIG. 1. The trimmer mounting frame 62 (FIGS. 3-5) is attached to the housing 60 as by screws 76 which threadably engage a pair of spaced, internally threaded internal supports 77 extending from the top wall 63 of the housing 60. The frame 62 includes an elongated rectangularly-shaped base plate 31 having a plurality oflegs 32, each provided with an aperture 33. The base plate 31 also includes a plurality of spaced, parallel, rectangularly-shaped apertures 34, and a pair of spaced, screw-receiving apertures 78, the latter being provided to connect the frame 62 to the housing 60 by means of the aforesaid screws 76.

The trimmer 59 (FIGS. 2 and 3) also includes a generally rectangularly-shaped, plate-like, stationary cutter 80. Cutter 80 has a generally rectangularly-shaped aperture 81 formed therein, and includes an upper surface 82 and a lower surface 83. The stationary cutter 8.0 also includes an elongated forwardly-extending end portion 84, an elongated rearwardly-extending end portion 85, and opposed side portions 86. The forward end portion 84, which has a front edge 87 and spaced shoulders 88, is bent downwardly from the cutter side portions 86 at an angle of approximately 45, and then bent upwardly to extend directly forwardly of, but below the level of, the cutter side portions 86. A row of hair-cutting teeth 89, formed in the cutters front edge 87 by a plurality of equidistantly spaced hair receiving slots 90, are thus disposed below the level ofthe cutter side portions 86. The forward end portion 84 also includes a pair of spaced hooks 92, located approximately midway between the spaced shoulders 88. The hooks 90 face upwardly and extend into the cutter aperture 81, towards the cutters rear end portion 85. The cutter aperture 81 includes a semicircularly-shaped slot 93 formed in the rear end portion of the cutter 80 ,approximately midway between the cutter side portions 86. The rear end portion 85 is bent downwardly from the cutter side portions 86 at an angle of approximately '45: and then bent upwardly to extend directly rearwardly of, but below the level of, the cutter side portions 86. A portion 94 of the cutters rear end portion 85 is thus disposed in substantially the same plane as the cutter teeth 89, below the level of the cutter side portions 86. The side portions 86 respectively include an elongated stiffening rib 95 extending between the forward and rear end portions, 84 and 85.

The stationary cutter 80 is disposed within the housing (FIGS. 3-5) by inserting the rear end portion 85 of the cutter 80 through the housings front wall aperture 74. As the cutters rear end portion 85 is moved inwardly of the housing 60, the cutter side portions 86 pass between the housing hooks 67 until the cutter shoulders 88 engage hooks 67 and the cutter slot 93 is disposed in registry with housing post 70. Since the diameter of post 70 is greater than the radius of slot 93 the cutter 80 must be pressed toward the housings top wall 63 against the frictional forces exerted on the cutter 80 by the post 70 to abut the cutters upper surface 82 against the housings shoulders 71. The post 70, acting as a latch, cooperates with the hooks 67 to removably secure the stationary cutter 80 to the housing 60. As thus connected, the cutters forward end portion 84 extends externally of the housing 60 via aperture 74, to dispose the cutter teeth 89 externally of the housing 60.

The trimmer 59 (FIGS. 3-5) additionally includes a generally rectangularly-shaped, plate-like, movable second cutter 100 having formed therein a pair of substantially rectangularly-shaped apertures 101 and 102. Cutter 100 has an upper surface 103, a lower surface 104, an elongated forwardly-extending end portion 105, a rear portion 106, and spaced, rearwardlyextending side portions 107. The forward end portion 105, which has a front edge 108, is bent upwardly from the cutter side portions 107 at an angle of approximately 45, and then bent downwardly to extend directly forwardly of, but above the level of, the cutters rear portion 106. A row of hair-cutting teeth 110, formed in the cutters front edge 108 by a plurality of equidistantly spaced hair receiving slots 111, are thus disposed above the level of the cutter rear portion 106. The side portions 107 rearwardly extend beyond the rear portion 106 of cutter 100 and are bent upwardly of the rear portion 106 at an angle of approximately 45, and then bent downwardly to extend directly rearwardly of, but above the level of, the rear portion 106. A side wall portion 112 of each of the cutter side portions 107 is thus disposed in substantially the same plane as the cutter teeth 110, above the level of the cutter rear portion 106. The side portions 107 respectively include an elongated stiffening rib 113 extending rearwardly from the forward end portion 105.

The trimmer 59 further includes a cutter supporting member 120 made of, for example, a molded plastic material. The cutter supporting member 120, which has an upper surface 121 and a lower surface 12, includes a body portion 123 and a pair of spaced legs 124. The body portion 123 has a front wall 125, a rear wall 126 and oppositely spaced side walls 127 which form a generally rectangularly-shaped aperture 128 in the body poriton 123. The legs 124 extend forwardly from the body portions front wall 125 and diverge from one another to respectively extend outwardly of the next adjacent body portion side wall 127. The body portion 123 includes a pair of integrally formed, oppositely disposed posts 130 extending upwardly from within aperture 128, and a pair of integrally formed, oppositely disposed resilient arms 131 respectively having an end 132. The arms 131 are respectively formed to initially extend downwardly and out of the aperture 128 at angles of approximately 45, and then to respectively curve upwardly and towards one another through arcs of approximately and reenter the aperture 128 at angles of approximately 45. To connect the cutter supporting member to the movable cutter 100, the members front wall is provided with a forwardly facing hook 133, and the members rear wall 126 is provided with a pair of spaced, rearwardly facing hooks 134. The hooks 133 and 134 extend upwardly from the walls 125 and 126.

The cutter supporting member 120 (FIGS. 3-5) is connected to the movable cutter 100 by inserting the driving member posts and hooks, 133 and 134, upwardly into the cutters aperture 102 until the upper surface 121 of the supporting member 120 abuts with the lower surface 104 of the movable cutter 100. Upon doing so the supporting member hooks, 133 and 134, respectively latch forwardly and rearwardly over the edge of the cutter aperture 102, to removably but firmly connect the supporting member 120 to the movable cutter 100.

As thus assembled the movable cutter 100 and supporting member 120 are removably disposed within the housing 60 by concurrently inserting the cutters forward end portion 105 through the housings front wall aperture 74 and inserting the supporting member posts 130 between the housings internal walls 72 and 73. When the movable cutter 100 and its connected supporting member 120 are so disposed within the housing 60, the movable cutters forward end portion 105 (FIGS. 2 and 3) extends externally of the housing 60 and in contact with the stationary cutters forward end portion 84. In addition, the movable cutters side wall portions 112 are disposed in contact with the stationary cutters rear end portion 94.

Within the housing 60 the assembled movable cutter 100 and cutter supporting member 120 are held removably secured to the stationary cutter 80 by means of an elongated wire trimmer spring 135 (FIGS. 3-5).

The trimmer spring 135 (FIGS. 4 and 5) has spaced U-shaped end portions 136, and has a partial loop 137 formed therein midway between the end portion 136. The spring loop 137 is an inverted U-shaped portion of the spring 135 having opposed legs 138 and a base 139. The base 139 includes a downwardly protruding portion 140 located approximately midway between the legs 138. The lower ends of the loop legs 138 are respectively initially curved upwardly toward the loop base 139, in the same plane as the loop 137, to provide arms 142 extending outwardly from the loop legs 138 at angles of approximately 45 relative thereto. The arms 142 are then respectively curved downwardly toward the adjacent arm 142, to dispose the U-shaped spring end portions 136 in a plane extending both transverse to the plane of the loop 137 and approximately 45 relative thereto.

The trimmer spring 135 is mounted within the housing 60 by first orienting the spring loop base 139 relative to the movable cutters aperture 101 such that the spring loop 137 and spring legs 138 lie in a plane extending substantially perpendicular to that of the movable cutter 100, and such that the spring end portions 136 extend rearwardly of the housings front wall 64 and are respectively disposed in contact with opposite supporting member legs 124. The spring loop base 139 is then inserted through the movable and stationary cutter apertures, 101 and 81, and the spring end portions 136 concurrently urged against the supporting member legs 124. As the spring loop base 139 is advanced against spring tension toward the housings top wall 63, the spring legs 138 contact the housings front wall protrusions 75 which aid in orienting the spring 135 properly within the housing 60 for further insertion. The spring loop base 139 is eventually urged partially into the housing cavity 68, and thus positioned rearwardly and beyond the stationary cutter hooks 92. Thereafter, the spring loop base 139 is moved forwardly toward the housing aperture 74 and released. As a result, the spring 135 contracts, and the spring loop base 139 engages the stationary cutter hooks 92 for retention in place thereby. The cutter hooks 92 thus cooperate with the supporting member legs 124 to retain the spring 135 within the housing 60 with the spring end portions 136 slidably engaging the supporting member legs 124. Further, the cutter teeth 110 and rear end portions 112 of the movable cutter 100 are respectively urged into sliding contact with the cutter teeth 89 and rear end portion 94 of the stationary cutter 80 by means of the spring 135. The spring 135 thus interlocks the movable cutter 100 and stationary cutter 80 together, but permits relative movement between them.

As shown in FIG. 3, the trimmer housing 60 with the stationary cutter 80, movable cutter 100, cutter supporting member 120, and trimmer spring 135 mounted therein as hereinbefore described, is removably connec'ted to the shaver 10 by means of the trimmer mounting frame 62. The frame screws 76 are respectively threadably engaged with the internally threaded cap support 77 to abut the base plate 31 against the cap supports 77, such that the cutter supporting members body portion 123 extends through the middle base plate aperture 34. The assembled trimmer 59 is then inserted into the shaver receptacle 15, wherein the motor housing lugs 56 engage the frame leg apertures 33 to hold the trimmer 59 in place.

As thus disposed within the shaver receptacle the supporting members resilient arms 131 engage the middle motor arm 57, which extends between and urges the resilient arms 131 from a relaxed state to a compressed state.

The compressed resilient arms 131 tend to urge the supporting member 120 and thus the movable cutter 100 towards the stationary cutter 80. Accordingly, to at least some extent the resilient arms 131 cooperate with the contracted spring 135 to maintain the hair cutting teeth 89 and 110 in hair trimming engagement with one another. However, such cooperation was found to be nonessential to the invention when the spring 135 is of sufficient strength in and of itself to hold the moving cutter 100 interlocked with the stationary cutter 80 as hereinbefore described. In any event, the compressed resilient arms 131 urge the supporting member 120 and thus the movable cutter 100 forwardly within the housing 60, thereby urging the driving member posts 130 into sliding contact with housings internal wall 72. Housing wall 72 extends parallel to a path of travel of the movable cutter 100 relative to the stationary cutter 80, wherein the moving cutter teeth 110 are disposed parallel to and in hair cutting relationship with the stationary cutter teeth 89 for trimming hair. Accordingly, the path of travel of the moving cutter teeth 110 is predetermined by the housing wall 72. Preferably, the housing 60, cutters, and 100, and cutter supporting member 120 are relatively dimensioned and located with respect to one another to dispose the row of movable cutter teeth rearwardly of the row of stationary cutter teeth 89 when the driving member posts 130 are disposed in sliding contact with housing wall 72.

When the shaver motor (not shown) is operated, the middle motor arm 57 drives the cutter supporting member and thus the movable cutter 100 in a reciprocating path of travel, as the supporting members compressed resilient arms 131 maintain the moving supporting member posts in sliding engagement with the housing wall 72. The supporting member posts 130 and the housing wall 72 thereby cooperate with one another to guide the moving cutter 100 in its aforesaid predetermined path of travel relative to the stationary cutter 80 for trimming hair. Concurrently, the contracted trimmer spring slidably engages the moving supporting member legs 124, to maintain the moving cutter 100 in sliding engagememt with the stationary cutter 80. The contracted spring 135 thus maintains the moving cutter teeth 110 in sliding, hair trimming engagement with the stationary cutter teeth 89 as the shaver motor (not shown) is operated.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cutter teeth, 89 and 112, of the connected long-hair trimmer 59, extend a sufficient distance from the trimmer housing 60 to protrude beyond the front wall 12 of the shaver casing 11. In addition, the stationary cutter teeth 89 preferably extend slightly beyond the forward end edge 108 of the moving cutter teeth 110. As a result, the stationary cutters forward end edge 87 may be placed in contact with and advanced across the users skin without placing the shaver casing 11 in contact therewith and without contacting the skin with the moving cutter teeth 110. As the stationary cutters forward end edge 87 and thus the stationary cutter teeth 89 are so advanced across the users skin, the teeth 89 comb long hairs into the hair receiving slots, 90 and 111, for trimming by the cooperative action of the stationary and moving cutter teeth 89 and 110.

When the connected trimmer 59 is in use, hairs may occasionally become lodged between the cutter teeth 89 and 110, as a result of which the moving cutter 100 may tend to move rearwardly within the trimmer housing 60. Housing wall 73 is provided to prevent the moving cutter 100 from moving sufficiently rearwardly to cause the moving cutter teeth 110 to be displaced out of hair trimming engagement with the stationary cutter teeth 89. The housing wall 73 thus acts as a stop against which the moving supporting member posts 131 slidably abut to prevent excessive rearward movement. As a result, hairs lodged between the cutter teeth 89 and 110 are rapidly pulverized by the coopertive hair trimming action of the cutter teeth 89 and 110.

In accordance with the objects of the invention there has been described an improved, inexpensively constructed long-hair trimmer which is easily assembled and disassembled and includes novel means for urging a moving cutter into hair trimming engagement with a stationary cutter and guiding such movement. Although the trimmer has been described for exemplary purposes as one which is adapted to be intermittently connected to a shaver in place of the shaver cutter head, it may be connected thereto as a permanent but easily replaceable part thereof. Accordingly, the described structure is also usable as a built-in trimmer.

Inasmuch as certain changes may be made in the above described invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted in an illustrative rather than limiting sense. And, it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to cover all the generic and specific features of the invention herein described.

What is claimed is:

l. A hair trimmer adapted for connection to a motor operated electric shaver, the trimmer comprising:

a. a housing;

b. means for connecting the housing to the shaver;

c. a stationary cutter removably secured within and the housing and having cutter teeth arranged externally of the housing, means on the housing for securing the stationary cutter to the housing, a movable cutter within the housing adapted for movement relative to the stationary cutter and having cutter teeth on a portion extending externally of the housing and which teeth cooperate with the cutter teeth of the stationary cutter for cutting hair; d. cutter supporting means adapted to be driven by the shaver motor and for supporting the movable cutter for movement therewith; and

e. holding means for detachably connecting the movable cutter to the cutter supporting means and slidably contacting the driven supporting means to urge the movable cutter into sliding engagement with the stationary cutter thereby interlocking the stationary and movable cutter but permitting relative movement therebetween.

2. The trimmer according to claim 1 wherein the driven cutter supporting means is adapted to cooperate with the housing to maintain the cutter teeth of the moving cutter in hair cutting engagement with the cutter teeth of the stationary cutter, the housing including means for guiding movement ofthe moving cutter teeth and preventing disengagement thereof from the stationary cutter teeth.

3. The trimmer according to claim 1, wherein the cutters are plate-like members respectively and wherein the externally extending portions each include a row of said cutter teeth, said holding means engaging the stationary cutter and urging the row of movable cutter teeth thereon into parallel sliding engagement with the row of stationary cutter teeth, the housing including a wall portion extending parallel to a hair trimming path of travel of the row of moving cutter teeth, and the driven supporting means slidably engaging the housing wall portion, whereby the wall portion predetermines the path of travel of the row of movable cutter teeth relative to the row of stationary cutter teeth for cutting hair.

4. A hair trimmer adapted for connection to a motor operated electric shaver, the trimmer comprising:

a. a housing;

b. means for connecting the housing to the shaver;

c. a stationary cutter disposed within the housing and having cutter teeth arranged outside of the housing, means on the housing for securing the stationary cutter to the housing, a movable cutter adapted for movement relative to the stationary cutter and having cutter teeth which cooperate with cutter teeth of the stationary cutter for cutting hair;

d. cutter supporting means adapted to be driven by the shaver motor, the movable cutter connected to and moving with the driven cutter supporting means; and

e. holding means for interlocking the stationary and movable cutter but permitting relative movement therebetween and comprising an elongated spring, an elongated aperture formed in the movable cutter adjacent to the cutter teeth thereof, a partial loop formed on the spring midway between the ends thereof, the spring loop extending through the aperture of the movable cutter and engaging spring retaining means extending from the stationary cutter, the ends of the spring being disposed in contact with the driven supporting means to urge the supporting means and thus the movable cutter toward the stationary cutter thereby urging the cutter teeth of the movable cutter into sliding engagement with the cutter teeth of the stationary cutter.

5. A hair trimmer adapted for connection to a motor operated electric shaver, the trimmer comprising:

a. a housing;

b. means for connecting the housing to the shaver;

c. a stationary cutter disposed within the housing and having cutter teeth arranged outside of the housing, means on the housing for securing the stationary cutter to the housing, a movable cutter adapted for movement relative to the stationary cutter and having cutter teeth which cooperate with cutter teeth of the stationary cutter for cutting hair;

d. cutter supporting means adapted to be driven by the shaver motor, the movable cutter connected to and moving with the driven cutter supporting means; and

e. holding means for interlocking the stationary and movable cutter but permitting relative movement therebetween and including hook means on the stationary cutter and an elongated wire spring having opposed U-shaped end portions and a partial loop formed therein midway between the spring end portions, the spring loop engaging the hook means of the stationary cutter, and the spring end portions slidably contacting the driven supporting means to urge the connected moving cutter into sliding engagement with the stationary cutter. 

1. A hair trimmer adapted for connection to a motor operated electric shaver, the trimmer comprising: a. a housing; b. means for connecting the housing to the shaver; c. a stationary cutter removably secured within and the housing and having cutter teeth arranged externally of the housing, means on the housing for securing the stationary cutter to the housing, a movable cutter within the housing adapted for movement relative to the stationary cutter and having cutter teeth on a portion extending externally of the housing and which teeth cooperate with the cutter teeth of the stationary cutter for cutting hair; d. cutter supporting means adapted to be driven by the shaver motor and for supporting the movable cutter for movement therewith; and e. holding means for detachably connecting the movable cutter to the cutter supporting means and slidably contacting the driven supporting means to urge the movable cutter into sliding engagement with the stationary cutter thereby interlocking the stationary and movable cutter but permitting relative movement therebetween.
 1. A hair trimmer adapted for connection to a motor operated electric shaver, the trimmer comprising: a. a housing; b. means for connecting the housing to the shaver; c. a stationary cutter removably secured within and the housing and having cutter teeth arranged externally of the housing, means on the housing for securing the stationary cutter to the housing, a movable cutter within the housing adapted for movement relative to the stationary cutter and having cutter teeth on a portion extending externally of the housing and which teeth cooperate with the cutter teeth of the stationary cutter for cutting hair; d. cutter supporting means adapted to be driven by the shaver motor and for supporting the movable cutter for movement therewith; and e. holding means for detachably connecting the movable cutter to the cutter supporting means and slidably contacting the driven supporting means to urge the movable cutter into sliding engagement with the stationary cutter thereby interlocking the stationary and movable cutter but permitting relative movement therebetween.
 2. The trimmer according to claim 1 wherein the driven cutter supporting means is adapted to cooperate with the housing to maintain the cutter teeth of the moving cutter in hair cutting engagement with the cutter teeth of the stationary cutter, the housing including means for guiding movement of the moving cutter teeth and preventing disengagement thereof from the stationary cutter teeth.
 3. The trimmer according to claim 1, wherein the cutters are plate-like members respectively and wherein the externally extending portions each include a row of said cutter teeth, said holding means engaging the stationary cutter and urging the row of movable cutter teeth thereon into parallel sliding engagement with the row of stationary cutter teeth, the housing including a wall portion extending parallel to a hair trimming path of travel of the row of moving cutter teeth, and the driven supporting means slidably engaging the housing wall portion, whereby the wall portion predetermines the path of travel of the row of movable cutter teeth relative to the row of stationary cutter teeth for cutting hair.
 4. A hair trimmer adapted for connection to a motor operated electric shaver, the trimmer comprising: a. a housing; b. means for connecting the housing to the shaver; c. a stationary cutter disposed within the housing and having cutter teeth arranged outside of the housing, means on the housing for securing the stationary cutter to the housing, a movable cutter adapted for movement relative to the stationary cutter and havIng cutter teeth which cooperate with cutter teeth of the stationary cutter for cutting hair; d. cutter supporting means adapted to be driven by the shaver motor, the movable cutter connected to and moving with the driven cutter supporting means; and e. holding means for interlocking the stationary and movable cutter but permitting relative movement therebetween and comprising an elongated spring, an elongated aperture formed in the movable cutter adjacent to the cutter teeth thereof, a partial loop formed on the spring midway between the ends thereof, the spring loop extending through the aperture of the movable cutter and engaging spring retaining means extending from the stationary cutter, the ends of the spring being disposed in contact with the driven supporting means to urge the supporting means and thus the movable cutter toward the stationary cutter thereby urging the cutter teeth of the movable cutter into sliding engagement with the cutter teeth of the stationary cutter. 